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Up and down maybe, but still No. 2

Georgina Robinson, London

Robbie Deans: '[It's] the third year in a row we've been ranked second.' Photo: Getty Images

ROBBIE Deans has defended his record as Wallabies coach and praised Australia for harnessing the mental aspect of its game to claim a fightback 20-14 victory over England at Twickenham on Saturday.

Deans said getting their attitude right in the lead-up to the Test allowed the Wallabies to turn around their fortunes after a 33-6 flogging at the hands of the French the week before. When asked if he knew the key to harnessing the Wallabies' mental game in the long term to even out fluctuations, Deans defended the team's results.

''You say fluctuations but this is the third year in a row we've been ranked second in the world,'' he said. ''The first two years we went from fifth to third, [then stayed] third, [then] second, second, second. That's consistency … We'd like to crack No. 1, we're the closest [country] to doing that, but we're not there.''

There was visible joy on the field after the full-time bell on Saturday afternoon and extensive celebrations in the dressing rooms as the Wallabies digested a pressure-relieving win.

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Man-of-the-match Michael Hooper, whose individual efforts at the breakdown and in attack played a huge part in the Wallabies' dominance, said the squad was capable of that effort every week.

''There is no science to it, it's about doing an 80-minute performance and getting that consistency, for 80 minutes,'' he said. ''We are good enough to do that every week.''

The danger for the Wallabies is a repeat of the mental cooling-off that brought them undone in Paris.

Deans said the coaching staff and players tried hard each week to not surrender the psychological edge required to eke out back-to-back wins against Test teams.

''[Attitude] is a key component, particularly at this level, because it's just relentless, it [can be] slightly off and you're gone,'' he said. ''The intensity in the game is so real that if you're not up for it, forget it.

''It's important you enjoy what you do as well, because it's like in the game itself, not everything goes your way. It's about ensuring you get up and keep going and don't go missing. Post-match has the same challenge. There's another Test match coming.''

That would be Italy, hovering just outside the top 10 and for that reason a trap for these Wallabies.

''They'll be lining up for a crack,'' Deans said. ''They're a very competitive international side and they've put us under the pump on a couple of occasions.''

With Pat McCabe on his way home after scans revealed a fracture in his neck, Deans will be heartened by the performance of the back line, which played with cohesion and creativity against England.

Ben Tapuai and Adam Ashley-Cooper partnered well in the mid-field with five-eighth Kurtley Beale, wing Nick Cummins' efforts in attack were sharp and effective, while full-back Berrick Barnes patrolled confidently in defence.

''Berrick, he's legit,'' Cummins said. ''He's secure, he's safe … he'll take the high balls, which brings a lot of trust in the back three there as well. You know he's there, he's fit and he can tackle, so you know he's got your back. I thought he was very safe … and we benefited from it.''

The Wallabies' forward pack was a different eight to the group that went missing against France a week earlier.

Ben Alexander's insertion in to the front row had an immediate effect, but so, once again, did the entire pack's mental game.

''There's no secret the scrum is a massive booster,'' Hooper said. ''If the scrum is doing well, then your tails are up and you're going forward in all aspects of the field. From last week's [performance], it was a massive [improvement].''